Features

Judgment is the cornerstone of the air traffic control profession. This basic trait, common among thousands of successful air traffic controllers worldwide, allows controllers to face a variety of situations-including unusual pilot requests-and act appropriately. As with the folks in the cockpits, a controller relies on situational awareness. She takes a multitude of things into […]

This weekend’s roster of events for pilots, listed online by SocialFlight, includes something for everyone, whether you prefer crowds and action or finding your way to an out-of-the-way airport on the edge of the wilderness. For those who haven’t yet been to a Sporty’s fly-in, you have a chance every Saturday, all year-round, and you […]

Letter of the Week:USA Today‘s Strategy Only a personal injury lawyer would write a Lettre de Cachet like the black adventure story published in USA Today. My sympathies for their reduced ad revenues and declining circulation. But holding public executions and sensational smear campaigns has never worked for any publication. Even the networks hesitate to […]

The Swiss Air Force PC-7 aerobatic team was returning in nine-ship Formation to Locarno Magadino Air Field (LSZL) some years ago. Team Leader:“Locarno Tower, Turbo 947 nine-ship inbound to split overhead.” TWR Operator:[Gives clearance to enter and split and to report on downwind individually.] Then … Pilot 1:“Number One downwind.” TWR:“Number One, report final — […]

Arent we pilots a confident crowd? We are so certain of our flyingskills that its always the other pilot, the below average mope, that people should be worried about. Because, in a time of need, we truly know we will rise to the challenge and our innate aeronautical skills will be there to save ourselves […]

The love-hate relationship between pilots/aircraft owners and mechanics/shops seems to wax and wane, depending on the person you spoke with last. The good news is that most of the time mechanics and pilots recognize that they depend on each other for their livelihood and existence. The bad news is that there are times that certain […]

Our weekly review of SocialFlight found everything from a fly-in at an Intergalactic Spaceport, through a run-what-you-brung air race, the annual Waco Club’s fly-in and a kid’s candy drop. The Second Community Spaceport Day will be held at the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport, Green River, Wyo., on Saturday, June 21 from 8:00 a.m. to […]

It may not be the fastest airplane to sport a big Lycoming, but on pure style points, it has no equal.When the so-called Caribbean line from Aerospatiale first appeared at the Paris Air Show in 1977, the U.S. general aviation industry was booming, building mainly tried-and-true, if staid, designs like the Cessna 172 and the […]

This was one of those days when everyone was getting a bad ride and trying to find a smooth altitude. Everyone was bugging ATC about the ride. As we were coming north off the coast of Florida on our way back to JFK from Montego Bay, a Cactus flight came on and, after complaining about […]

The summer season is in full swing across the country, and SocialFlight’s online listing of aviation events reveals plenty of opportunities to explore the aviation world. At Fitchburg Municipal Airport, in Massachusetts, the locals will celebrate the field’s 85th birthday on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and everyone is invited. Airport tours, Young […]